Located on the third level of Regent Hotel, Summer Palace 's executive chef, Goh Wooi Cheat, who has more than 25 years of experience in the culinary landscape, spares no effort in pleasing your discerning taste buds. Sit back, and be wowed by his masterfully-prepared spread of Chinese cuisines!

• The Vibe
  From the gold-rimmed paintings to the wooden chairs fitted with maroon cushion and the elegant Chinese antiques that adorn the entrance and some corners of the restaurant, oriental grandiose emanates throughout the space. Large reflective mirrors which line two sides of the room not only add an air of sophistication to the setting, it makes the space look larger than it actually is. The area is also illuminated by dim spotlights, creating an intimate atmosphere for a cozy good meal.

• The Food
  Start off your meal with Summer Palace 's fine selection of teas ($8 per person). The Rose tea originating from the Shandong Province , is mild and soothing to the throat. The Yellow Treasure White Tea, a much sought after rare tea which is produced in the high misty mountains of Northern Fujian , will be an exotic choice. Despite its slight tinge of bitterness, it is pleasantly light on the taste buds.

  The chef's impressive culinary skills is apparent from the appetizer - The Assorted Barbecue Combination ($30) which contains slices of suckling pig, roast duck, soya chicken and jellyfish. The suckling pig is thin, amazingly crispy and not at all oily. It is so well done that the rest of the meats seems rather ordinary. Another notable appetizer is the Dim Sum Combination of Steamed Scallop Dumping delighting you with its fillings of prawn, scallop and chestnut cubes which is juicy and crunchy, and seafood wrapped in thin crispy beancurd skin.

  Simmered for more than five hours, the highly-nutritional Double-boiled Eight Treasure Seafood Soup served in Whole Pumpkin ($15) is cooked using prawn, chicken, scallop compoy, mushroom and crab meat in a superior chicken broth. With such generous ingredients, a sweet tingling aftertaste is not a surprise. The Deep Fried Prawn in Wasabi Mayonnaise ($10) is embellished with a crispy egg-white fried to a golden brown and sprinkled with mango, watermelon and strawberry cubes. Too chewy to be cut, and almost the size of your palm, it would be an embarrassing sight to be caught in a conversation while having it. Though the wasabi is home-made, yet the stingy sensation could still be felt at times and might bring tears to your eyes.

  Watch your taste buds blossom as you enjoy the Steamed Cod Fillet with Minced Garlic and Golden Mushroom ($13). The tantalizing cod fillet is steamed in a tasty light sauce, so fresh that it glides smoothly down your throat. Go for the Steamed Rice Vermicelli with Crab Claw and Egg White ($13) if you are in for something light and heartwarming for a rainy day.

  At the end of your meal, the must-try dessert is the Chilled Cream of Mango and Safo with Aloe Vera in Young Cocunut ($8). Embellished sweetly with rose petals as the side of the cocunut, the visually enticing dessert is thick, but not too sweet. Every slurp is keep refreshing with hearty amounts of mango, sago seeds and aloe vera.

• The Service
  Dressed in a classic golden and brown Cheong Sam, the service staff at Summer Palace is warm and extremely helpful. When serving the tea, they advise on the most appropriate way to consume the tea, to wait a while for the taste of the tea leaves to infuse into the water before pouring it into your cup. They are also well-versed with the dishes and are in good stead to give some recommendations for your meal.

The SD Food Advisor's take on Summer Palace
While the interiors left no lasting impression and did not bring out the charm that its name suggests, one can purely concentrate on the array of well-orchestrated Chinese dishes that lived up to its name. If ambience is not your priority, this place will certainly serve you well as its quality food promises to trigger waves of delight throughout the insides of your mouth!